Prep Yourself for the IL Legislative Session!

Our elected officials will returned to Springfield this week, we are off and running in the advocacy department on a new legislative session as well!
Before we jump right in and ask you to make those important phone calls and send those urgent emails to the legislature, here is a quick rundown of the issues we're going to be focusing on this legislative session.

· Prevent and Reduce Obesity – Healthy Eating Active Living Act: Reducing the Consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages

• Secure a penny-per-ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and ensure that a portion of the state revenue generated by the tax is dedicated to health, obesity prevention and Medicaid funding.

· Prevent and Reduce Obesity – Protect P.E. in Illinois Schools and Implementation of P.E. in Chicago Public Schools

• Protect IL’s strong elementary and secondary school P.E. mandate from expected attacks and ensure the implementation of daily P.E. in Chicago Public Schools.

· Tobacco Control – Protect the Illinois Smoke-Free Air Act

• Prevent any rollback of existing Smoke Free IL protections, notably in casinos and taverns.

· Systems of Care – Statewide STEMI System of Care

• Establish STEMI Systems of Care in line with the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Campaign via statewide legislation and work to secure state funding to assist local communities in purchasing automated external defibrillators, 12-lead EKGs, ambulances and other critical EMS equipment and infrastructure.

· System of Care – Rebuild Illinois’ EMS System

• Rebuild Illinois’s EMS system by securing a stable, dedicated funding source for EMS and pursue an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for EMS providers.

· Acute Cardiovascular Care – Lauren’s Law Implementation

• Ensure the implementation of Lauren’s Law requiring all high school students to learn CPR prior to high school graduation.

Sounds pretty ambitious, doesn't it? The American Heart Association believes that everyone has a reason to live a longer, healthier life. That is our why. As always, we're going to need your help to be successful with these policy priorities, so as you look at the list above, ask yourself which of the issues fits in with your why.
Whatever the reason, if you’d like to get more involved and work hand-in-hand with us on any of these issues, please send me an email ([email protected]) or drop me a line (414-227-1410) anytime!